It might perhaps seem strange to begin this new article on an undiscovered corner of France situated in Great Britain with the house of the Duke of Wellington, the great opponent of Napoleon Bonaparte. The house is without doubt one of the most surprising manifestations of the love-hate relationship which exists between our two nations: that of Wellington and Napoleon, encapsulates this feeling to perfection.

Although the two men never met, Napoleon certainly made a great impression on the Duke. He was surprisingly, perhaps, a Francophile, part of whose education took place at the Military Academy at Angers.

Apsley House, home of the Dukes of Wellington since 1817, is at Hyde Park Corner. The first Duke brought it from his brother after his victory at Waterloo, and spent a great deal of money on refurbishing it to his personal tastes. He succeeded in making it a hero's residence, and a perfect place to house his collection of pictures and objets d'art, as well of his souvenirs of the Napoleonic wars.

Proud of his house, he officially adopted the address of "No 1, London" popularly called this already because it was the first house that one saw in those days when approaching the capital from the West.

The house is truly splendid, decorated in French style. The large gallery called the Waterloo Gallery is decorated in the style of Louis XIV, painted in white and gold, with sliding mirrors transforming it at night into an echo of the Galerie des Glaces at Versailles. The drawing room is draped with striped cloth, giving the effect of a military tent. This room is reminiscent of the "salle-tente" of Napoleon designed by Percier and Fontaine for his house at Malmaison. The yellow drawing room is typically French with its Empire style furniture.

What is so interesting about the house is not only the French furniture with which the house is so amply supplied, but the objects which are exhibited there.

Entrance Hall

In the entrance hall, we are welcomed by an enormous marble statue of Napoleon by Canova. It was commissioned by the Emperor in 1802, but he took an instant dislike to it from the start. Napoleon is seen with a statue representing "Fame" in his hand - but it has its back towards him; Napoleon reckoned that this was a bad omen of things to come. He had the statue consigned to the cellars of the Louvre where it stayed until 1816, when it was presented to the Duke. It appeared that the Duke did not really care for this present either, being under the impression that the French Government gave it to him to get it off their hands.

On the other hand, Wellington was amply rewarded by some very lovely gifts from the Bourbons, for example, the flags embroidered with silver that Napoleon presented to his officers at the assembly known as the Champ de Mai on the 1st June 1815.

Egyptian Sèvres Dinner Service

Louis XVIII was so grateful to Wellington for having given him back his kingdom that he offered him all sorts of presents. The most well-known one is the Egyptian Sèvres dinner service which was given as a divorce present to the Empress Josephine. Understandably, she refused it, saying that she didn't care for the design, and would prefer something else. It was sent back to Sèvres where it remained until the arrival of Louis XVIII who used it for his official receptions.

One evening in March 1818 the King was dining with Wellington, who was living in Paris at the time. The two men, both collectors of Porcelain, were discussing the different manufacturing techniques in their respective countries. A few days later, Louis sent "some plates" to Wellington, together with a letter which ended with a few English words - "Do little gifts - keep friendship alive". The "some plates" turned out to be 72, with all the rest of the set to go with it, now on display.

Portraits and busts of Napoleon and his family are everywhere in the house. Wellington must have been obsessed by the Emperor. A curious coincidence ... on the Waterloo battlefield, the two enemies were both wearing swords whose handles were made by the same man - Martin Guillaume Biennais, Napoleon's favourite goldsmith. Wellington later bought Napoleon's sword to show it off in his house: today the visitor can see the two weapons side by side.

Napoleon is history's most fascinating personality. He left France an unbelievable heritage, the Civil Code, the Legion of Honour, the Banque de France, the Institut de France.... Wellington has left us his lovely house, so full of souvenirs of Napoleon, and gave his name to rubber boots!